


Big Bad Witch

by shewearsglasses



Series: University of Glass [3]
Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bisexual Female Character, Everyone Is Alive, F/F, F/M, Female-Centric, Flirting, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Lesbian Manon, Little Red Riding Hood - Freeform, Manon is an aggressive lesbian, No Spoilers, Oblivious, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 06:18:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5037127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewearsglasses/pseuds/shewearsglasses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elide's fascination with Manon wears thin when the girl kisses her boyfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Bad Witch

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a prompt for my Film class, then I edited it into a short story for my Fiction class. And now here it is as a Malide fanfic. So I'm sorry if they're a little OOC or the tenses/POV is crap, it's cause it was originally present tense/first person. Let me know if there's any mistakes I can fix!
> 
> It's based heavily on Little Red Riding Hood, can you tell?

Elide chewed on the edge of her lip. She knew it was a bad habit, but she couldn’t help herself. She leaned against the frame of her desk, and stared down at the cell phone in her hand. The evidence was undeniable.

Kaltain had texted it to her not an hour before and it felt like she’d been staring at it ever since. Had it really been an hour? Had she been sitting in silence for an entire hour?  
There was a sound out in the hall and then the doorknob was clicking and it turned, opened. Kaltain stood in the doorway. She met Elide’s eyes who then let out a silent sob. Kaltain threw herself to the ground before Elide and wrapped her arms around her, “Oh, Elide. I’m so sorry.”

Elide buried her face in Kaltain’s neck, but still the tears didn’t come. She just felt empty. She felt numb. “Four months,” she said. “Four months.”

Kaltain pulled away, but her hands remained behind, rubbing at Elide’s shoulders. “What?”

Elide sniffed, “Four months I wasted on him.” She shook Kaltain off and stood, beginning to pace the room. “Should I confront him? Should I go over there?”

Kaltain shrugged from her place on the floor, “Yeah, probably. I mean, the more time you give him, the more legit his excuse will seem.”

Elide nodded, “Yeah.” She paced the room, her bad ankle scuffing along the tile. She paused in front of her closet, “Yeah.” Holding her head high, she nodded again. She opened the closet and retrieved her trusty red hoodie, thrusting her cell phone into her back pocket. “I’m going now. I don’t wanna lose focus.”

Kaltain stood up, “Break his heart.”

She grinned and backed out. “That’s the plan,” she said, and closed the door behind her.

The walk to his dorm went too quickly. But only when she was finally knocking on the door did she allow herself to feel the first bit of rage she’d felt all day. However, it was immediately replaced by nerves when the door opened to Harding’s face. His eyes widened, but he was smiling. “Hey, babe, you didn’t tell me—”

She cut him off, “You kissed her.”

Had Elide not been paying attention, she would have missed the way he blinked too slowly or how his jaw strained as if he was clenching his teeth. She straightened, newfound confidence flooding her chest. She said, “I don’t care about your apologies, or excuses or any of that bullshit. I’m done.”

Harding opened the door wider, and stepped out. Elide stumbled back a step, pressing a hand into his chest to still his forward progress. “Elide, don’t do this. It was just—”

“Just nothing. I don’t even care,” she said. Elide shook her head as Harding opened his mouth to speak again. “I genuinely don’t care,” she stressed. “I’ve been wondering all afternoon why I can’t cry and that’s it. I don’t care. I don’t know what this was to you—but evidently it wasn’t much. I don’t know if you were trying to hurt me, but it’s over. I’m not playing this game. I’m done.”

She turned on her heel and stomped down the hallway. Her limp made a pathetic sound, but she ignored it. That had felt good—whether or not it looked or sounded like much. Harding called after her, but he didn’t try to follow. Obviously he cared just as little as she’d assumed.

Once outside, she just kept walking. She missed the turn back toward her own dorm, and then missed the sidewalk that led to the library—a common place she’d used to destress in the past. Elide kept going, mindlessly following the road.

Was it really nothing? Had it been anything at all? She’d had such a crush on Harding last semester. He’d seemed like a tool at first, but after a while, she’d convinced herself he was actually pretty cute and sensitive. He meant well, after all. But she had never wrapped her brain around “love.” They’d been steady in their relationship and affections, but it had never really progressed. It wasn’t passionate, or loving, or even exciting. It just was. It was a waste of time. For both of them.

The problem wasn’t even that he’d strayed, but that he’d strayed with her. Manon was the physical embodiment of all of her insecurities. She was tall with long, glimmering white hair that always looked so elegant. She looked like a model straight out of a dominatrix magazine. She’d first appeared in one of Elide’s required courses, and immediately she became the focal point of all of Elide’s dreams.

How could she attain that image? How could she ever live up to that face? That energy? Her leather jackets with the studs, her heels that drew attention in a way Elide’s bad ankle, and worn-out sneakers never managed. Manon was a mental fixation Elide couldn’t get rid of. And apparently neither could Harding. Now, she was naïve and often oblivious, but she’d noticed Harding, well, noticing.

They’d paired together for a project in his psychology class, and he was enthralled. Elide was kept up most nights wondering when he’d call her. Wondering when he would choose Manon over her. She honestly didn’t blame him that much. Elide wasn’t her. She was plain where Manon was dazzling. Elide was mousy, brown hair, and chicken legs where Manon was hair made of moonlight and legs that went on for miles. Elide wasn’t enthralling. She wasn’t a fascination. She was a passing phase, that kind of girl you dated but didn’t fantasize about. They were barely comparable.

The hardest part was Manon’s attention. She focused so fully that her eyes seemed to read even your mind. Her shining bronze eyes smiled even when her lips stayed neutral. She gave you so much attention that information just came pouring out. Elide had once told her about her abusive uncle, something she’d never even confessed to Kaltain.

How could Elide live up to that?

She couldn’t. She hadn’t.

She stepped into the Quad, finding a bench nearby and collapsing onto it. It was getting dark out, the sun picking up speed as it disappeared below the horizon. The campus lights had kicked on, and most students had cleared out of the area, only a few stragglers were left behind.

Elide pulled her legs up onto the bench in front of her and pressed her face into the space between her knees. Still, she didn’t cry. She frowned, and clutched one of the hoodie strings in her left hand. Without thinking, she began chewing on the edge of her lip. She should head back, Kaltain was probably worried, but she didn’t. Elide wanted to move, really she did, but it was as if she was frozen. She couldn’t move if she wanted to. If she moved, it was all real. If she moved, she’d go back to her dorm alone. She’d have to delete all the pictures off her phone. She’d have to tell people, and act like she wasn’t upset. She’d have to move on.

There was a shrill ring, and Elide was startled to her feet. She put a hand to her chest and almost laughed. Scared by her own ringtone? How pathetic. She reached back and tugged the phone from her pocket. It was Harding. Well, it was: “Asshole” as the contact on the screen read. She felt a smile pull at her lips, thanking her quick reaction earlier for saving her current self from having to look at the old contact name. It was cheesy and dumb and affectionate, and she didn’t need a reminder of anything she’d felt for Harding before. Her hand clenched at her side, and she tightened her fingers around the phone. Releasing a long breath, she answered the phone, “What.”

“Come on, Elide, don’t be like that,” Harding said from the other end.

Elide choked on a laugh. She honestly shouldn’t have been surprised. Why had she even answered? What had she expected? She wasn’t going to get a sincere apology. She didn’t even want one, because she wasn’t going back to him. What was the point of this? Still, she didn’t hang up yet, “Like what, Harding? I’m sorry, but am I not allowed to be angry at my cheating ex-boyfriend?”

He sighed through the receiver. “No, no. You’re allowed to be mad.”

“Thanks so much, Harding. You’re very generous.” Elide sat back on the bench, crossing her legs. She ran her free hand through her hair. “Really, though? With her? Of all people?” She relaxed against the bench, glancing up at the sky. Tonight was one of those nights she wished she’d chosen a school out in the country, if just to be able to stargaze. The lights around her stilted the view, and blocked out immeasurable stars.

“I’m sorry, Elide. But Manon—“

She couldn’t listen to him anymore. “That’s what I thought.” She’d given him a chance, and he was still making excuses. She ended the call, setting her phone on the bench beside her. She pressed her face into her hands. Oh Wyrd, had she really wasted four months on this? It wasn’t even their first fight. Why had she wasted so much time? Her phone rang again. She pressed her face harder into her hands, groaning to match the volume of her phone. Maybe he’d stop calling if she ignored him. Elide peeked through her fingers and pressed the ‘Ignore Call.’ Leaning back, she reached for the tie of her hoodie again. The phone rang again.

No. No. No. No! She shrieked and grabbed onto the phone. She didn’t stop to think, she just threw it as hard as she could. The ringing cut off abruptly as it smashed into the sidewalk about five yards away. Oh Wyrd. Elide pulled her arm back from where it was frozen in mid-air. Oh Wyrd.

“Fuck,” she whispered, tugging her arms into her chest. She pulled her legs up too. “Fuck,” she nearly shouted. She ducked her head into the circle of her arms, and began humming to herself. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening. Elide squeezed her eyes closed, and shook herself. She wasn’t going to cry, because once she started she wouldn’t stop. But oh Wyrd, really? Really? She was such an idiot. Now she would have to buy a new phone, and shit, those things were expensive. What a great topper to her already amazing day.

Footsteps startled her upright. She sniffled, and wiped at her face, but her eyes were still dry. There was a girl a few streetlamps down, not quite recognizable yet. Her heels clicked as she neared Elide. She knew she was staring, but Elide didn’t have it in her to care. One lamp away, and the girl’s red lips came into view, then the spikes on her leather jacket caught the light. Oh no.

The girl stopped in front of Elide’s broken cellphone. Of course. Of fucking course it was her. Of all the people—she wanted to screech. This was just her luck.

Manon nodded to indicate the phone, “Bad day?” She tucked a strand of glowing hair behind an ear. Her eyes were a bright gold where they caught the moonlight; her lips were streaked with war paint.

Elide clenched her jaw and stumbled to her feet. She was shorter than the other girl by a few inches, so she had to step back to meet Manon’s eyes. “What are you doing here?” she said.

Manon scoffed, “Last I checked this was a free country.” She smirked down at Elide, looking almost devil-ish. Did she know? Did she feel bad? Elide shifted under her gaze; her hand moved back to the hoodie string. Why would she? Manon was the one who’d kissed Harding after all. She’d made the move, so why would she regret it? Manon tilted her head, but Elide still said nothing. Finally, Manon said, “It’s late, Little Red. You should go home.”

Manon turned and walked away. Her heels clicked against the sidewalk. Elide whispered, “Don’t call me that.” She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Say something. Say anything! Don’t let her leave! Don’t let her get away with it. Elide clenched her fists, gaze locked firmly on the distance growing between them. You’re better than this, she told herself. You are better than her. Then Elide dug her good heel into the ground, and relaxed her arms. She stepped forward and yelled out, “Wait!”

Manon stopped just under a streetlamp a full building-length away, but she didn’t turn around. Elide continued, “I have something to say to you!” At this, Manon turned, surprise evident in the quirk of her lips. While briefly startled, she was also obviously amused by Elide’s outburst. She was still smirking, and the light made her red lips look even more sinister. Elide jogged a few steps to catch up with her. When she reached Manon, Elide had to take a moment to catch her breath.

Manon shifted and put a hand on her hip. “I’m waiting.”

Elide stumbled over her words, “Don’t think you can just get away with it!” Manon tilted her head, hair splaying over her left shoulder as she raised a brow. “Cause you can’t!” Elide finished lamely. She looked down and away, fidgeting with her sleeves. This girl was so elegant, all glistening hair and blemish-free, pale skin, and Elide was so bland in comparison. Her front-right tooth was chipped in the corner; her olive skin was covered in haphazard freckles up to her neck. Even her eyes, which she imagined were her best feature, were a bland, boring brown compared to the searing gold confronting Elide now. The smirk never left Manon’s lips. Her eyes glistened with laughter. Elide sneered, “You’re a bitch!”

Manon’s mouth opened into a toothy grin, and she laughed. “Me?” Her voice oozed professionalism, but it was almost sultry. Her eyelids lowered slowly, and opened even slower. It was hypnotizing. She dropped the hand from her hip into a more relaxed position at her side. She still faced slightly away from Elide when she said, “How about you place some blame on that shitty boyfriend of yours?” This girl was the enemy. She’d kissed Harding practically in front of Kaltain and here she was denying all blame. She had to have known Kaltain would relay the information back to Elide. She had to have known Elide would find out, that the truth would divide her and Harding. Manon had broken them up purposefully.

“Ex,” Elide said, although it was pointless. Her breath came out in a whoosh of air that deflated her chest completely. Honestly, she wasn’t even mad at Harding anymore. Sometime between leaving his dorm, and breaking her phone, she’d accepted how unimportant he’d become to her life. Elide was angrier that this flustering dark girl who’d fascinated her since day one had pulled her life apart with only one kiss. Manon had upturned everything she used to think and feel, and Elide was still reeling. How could she control Elide’s life so easily?

Manon turned to face Elide fully. A warmth spread up from her chest and through her face. She’d gained her attention. She had her. “What?” Manon’s grin fell if only slightly.  
Elide cleared her throat, reinvigorated by her attention, “Ex. Ex-boyfriend.”

If anything, that widened the leer on Manon’s face. Her eyes practically sparkled. Elide took a step back, had she made a mistake? Had she somehow played into Manon’s hand? How did she lose the power she’d only just gained? “Listen,” Manon said, closing the distance between them to the point that Elide actually had to take another step back. “I know you think I’m trying to steal Harding from you, but honesty, that dink is the least of my worries.”

“What—” Elide started, but stopped abruptly. This close to Manon, she could spot flecks of white around her pupils. She swallowed, hard. This was dangerous territory.

“I have—” Manon began, voice low and husky as she leaned ever closer. Elide stopped moving, standing straight to promote an air of confidence. The flush decorating her face probably didn’t help. Manon was too close, she couldn’t breathe. This near to Elide, she could make out the jagged edges of a twisting scar along the left side of Manon’s face. If anything, it just added to her already wolfish appearance. She continued, “—better, more interesting ventures to pursue.” Then, abruptly, Manon took a step back, and Elide’s chest inflated with air again. She stumbled back as if Manon had released her from a spell.

Elide heart beat so fast in her chest that she could hear it. Manon could probably hear it too, that must’ve been why her eyes were twinkling. She was laughing at how easily she could control Elide. She swallowed to try and salvage some of her former confidence. She had to regain control somehow, “We’d still be together right now if not for you!” As soon as her lips released the words, Elide felt tiny, dwarfed by Manon’s presence. That was dumb. Elide was so dumb, and Manon knew it too.

Manon laughed, “You’re an idiot.”

Elide huffed and put both of her hands on her hips. She puffed up her chest to appear taller. Manon’s smirk returned full-force, and Elide’s lungs suddenly felt heavy. Elide’s hand shifted an inch, then quickly reached up to latch onto her hoodie string. “You stole him.” Her voice had lost some of its confidence and volume. She bit at her lip, mentally cringing at the lack of conviction behind the words. Manon took a step forward, and Elide matched it backward; her back hit the wall again.

“You’re telling me that it’s all my fault?” Manon inched forward again, her smirk verging on predatory. “You genuinely believe that you’d still be with your fuck-boy boyfriend if it wasn’t for me?”

Elide scrambled to the side, stumbling blindly to get out from under Manon’s gaze. Her back itched where it scraped along the bricks. Elide felt the rest of her already dwindling ferocity leave her, when she spoke, her voice was caught by the wind. She had to repeat herself to be heard, “Yes. I would.”

Manon’s grin widened. She said, voice practically purring, “Then I’ll gladly take that blame.”

Elide blinked, and put a hand up to stop Manon from moving toward her. She opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything for a long moment. “You’re admitting it?”

Manon shrugged back, “Not in so many words.” She lifted a hand to admire her long, dark fingernails, painting a picture of indifference. Elide’s fire rekindled inside her throat. She wanted to shout, to curse at Manon. She didn’t even care! Elide straightened, her hand let go of her hoodie. She opened her mouth, but Manon dropped her hand and took another step forward before she could speak. Manon said, “I didn’t steal him though.”

Elide dropped her eyebrows, “But you said—”

She cut Elide off, “I never said I stole him. I said I’ll take the blame for the end of your relationship.” Manon shrugged again, smirk straightening into the barest quirk of her lip.

Elide bit at her lip, “What does that mean?” Manon had wanted to end their relationship, and despite Elide’s overflowing anger, a part of her wanted to be grateful. She didn’t want to look at her, but she almost wanted to thank her. The relationship had been pointless, she’d deny it until her face went blue, but Manon was truly right. Harding wasn’t worth it, but Manon didn’t deserve her acknowledgement either.

“What do you think it means?”

“I think...” Elide stilled, then narrowed her eyes. Manon was doing this on purpose. She was playing Elide like a Wyrd-damned instrument, which Elide was sure she’d probably be really good at. Like, she glanced at Manon’s long fingers, relaxed compared to Elide’s clenched fists, she had the look for it. Elide felt her face flush with color, and she abruptly cut off that train of thought. “Don’t do this! Don’t make this into another of your games! Just tell me!”

Manon sighed. With a roll of her eyes, she reached up between them and tucked a strand of hair behind Elide’s ear. Her breath hitched; Elide’s entire body was vibrating, her cheeks were hot enough to burn. Manon’s voice was barely a whisper between their lips when she said, “I didn’t kiss Harding because I like him.”

Elide took another step away, shrinking back to cool down her rising body temperature. Eyes wide, she shook her head. Manon’s smirk reappeared, but it was softer now, less venomous. “You broke us up,” Elide said.

Manon rolled her eyes again, taking a step back so her presence wasn’t as stifling. Elide’s breathing had gone jagged, and she finally felt it return to normal—well as normal as it could get with this literal witch leering down at her. “Oh come on, Elide! You would’ve broken up soon enough without me; I just sped up the process.”

Elide shook her head more aggressively, “No. No!” She felt as much like a child as she probably sounded. Manon took another step forward, and when Elide stepped back, her back hit the wall again. The familiar feel of the bricks made her straighten her shoulders to mirror the wall’s solidity. Manon’s smirk turned predatory again, but she didn’t take the final step to corner Elide. “We were happy,” she said, feeling dwarfed by both the wall and Manon.

“You were naïve,” Manon reached a hand out to rest it against Elide’s elbow.

Elide ignored the touch and shook her head, “Harding loved me!”

Manon dragged her hand lower down Elide’s forearm, “Would he have cheated if that were true?” Her voice was so low that Elide almost didn’t hear it. She tilted her head closer without thinking.

Elide didn’t respond, and Manon didn’t continue. Elide looked past her, although her gaze barely peeked over Manon’s shoulder. Elide’s hand moved to reach for her hoodie string, but Manon was too close and reaching for it would’ve locked her arm between their chests. Instead, she clenched onto the edge of her own front-pocket.

“You know I’m right,” Manon’s hand was dangerously close to Elide’s wrist.

“I don’t know anything.” And it was true. This was all too much. Too confusing. Elide’s thoughts spun faster than the leaves in the wind. Manon had broken them up—broken her and Harding. Broken a part of her. It was malicious, it had to have been. She kept hold of that thought. Not allowing Manon’s whispered words to break her grasp.

Manon tilted her head, and narrowed her eyes. Her smirk smoothed out into a line. She took the final step forward, and she was in Elide’s bubble, breathing the same air as her. Manon’s fingers ghosted along the uncovered skin of Elide’s palm. Her mouth went dry, but she still didn’t move to shake Manon off.

She’s the enemy, Elide tried to remind herself, but Manon’s touch tainted her thoughts. Manon’s eyes locked with Elide’s and wasn’t she more of a hero than a villain, really? Wasn’t she the reason Elide was no longer wasting time with Harding? Wasting time, Elide had said that herself. Manon must not be that bad. But still, “He said he loved me.”

Manon nodded, and reached up with her free hand to tuck Elide’s hair back again. Elide couldn’t break eye contact even if she wanted to. She was caught in Manon’s shimmering gaze, so lost that Elide could barely hear Manon when she spoke again. Manon’s voice was soft, “I imagine he said a lot of things.”

Elide should’ve protested, but her thoughts were tinted with gold. “He—“

“He’s nothing. Stop dwelling on him,” Manon hissed. Her hand drew its way back up to Elide’s elbow. This time her grasp was harder, and although she still couldn’t move away, Elide managed to nod. She closed her eyes, breaking Manon’s hold.

Elide nodded again, trying to regain her earlier train of thoughts. “So you broke us up... out of kindness?”

Manon tipped her head back and laughed. Elide opened her eyes again to squint at Manon. “Oh don’t tell me you’re that naive?”

Elide shook her head, “What—”

Before she could finish, Manon was moving. She dropped Elide’s elbow, and reached up to grasp her chin in both hands. And then she was on Elide, lips, hands, and all. Her lips were smooth and sticky with lipstick, and for a moment Elide could do nothing. She was frozen at the feel of Manon’s lips against her own, her hands stationary at her sides. Then Manon nipped at her bottom lip, and Elide could do nothing but react. She reached up and grabbed onto the front of Manon’s jacket, tugging her closer. Elide began kissing back in earnest.

Manon swallowed Elide’s lips with her own, and everything was hot. Elide couldn’t breathe—she couldn’t—Manon pulled back. Elide gasped loudly and Manon laughed. As her gasps subsided, Elide leaned her forehead against Manon’s. Of all the things she’d expected—Elide grinned, this was the best possible outcome. “You never said anything.”

Elide felt all the rage built up inside her subside, leaving her almost empty. She swallowed, how could one kiss upend every emotion she thought she’d felt about Manon? Had she always liked her? Elide’s mind rewound back through their past conversations, all the times she’d blushed, all the times she’d dreamt about Manon, thinking it was because she resented the girl—had it actually been because Elide liked her? Had she been burying her real feelings all along?

Manon was grinning wolfishly. Her voice was husky when she spoke again, “What was I supposed to say? ‘Oh hey Elide, I know you’re in a relationship, but you’ve decorated my dreams for a month. Wanna make out?’”

Elide’s first thought was yes definitely. That’s exactly what she should’ve said. Immediately, she wanted to recoil, but not from Manon, from herself and her own urges. Elide had been overthinking everything up until that moment, so she did the exact opposite. She leaned up to press a kiss against the corner of Manon’s lips, “Yes. Exactly.”

Manon smoothed a hair out of Elide’s face, “Maybe next time, Little Red.” Manon grinned and leaned in to kiss Elide again.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, meet my new fucking Throne of Glass OTP cause fucking Chaolaena was tossed into the shitter. (I still ship them as like my ultimate OTP but this one COULD be canon yet so I'm latching on).
> 
> I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHO ELIDE COULD POSSIBLY BE DATING SO I RANDOMLY THREW IN ONE OF AROBYNN'S ASSHOLE ASSASSINS! SO I'M SORRY IF THAT WAS WEIRD BUT I'D RATHER DO THAT THAN ADD IN AN O.C. Also Kaltain and Elide as BFFs was my absolute dream. I wish they could've been.


End file.
